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Short thread on how DfE sneaked out a £250 million cut to school budgets in the middle of a pandemic and how it will impact the poorest and most vulnerable pupils
No publicity, no great public announcement as @educationgovuk cut £1/4 billion from its Pupil Premium budget
No publicity, no great public announcement as @educationgovuk cut £1/4 billion from its Pupil Premium budget
Pupil Premium (PP) is extra funding to help disadvantaged children & those living in poverty, it’s funding to help with levelling up & social mobility
Schools receive extra money for pupils claiming free school meals, it’s currently £935 for secondary & £1320 for primary
Schools receive extra money for pupils claiming free school meals, it’s currently £935 for secondary & £1320 for primary
The funding was calculated based on the second annual school census which is in January, the first census being early October
This gives schools time to encourage FSM registration & check everything before the dataset is used
This gives schools time to encourage FSM registration & check everything before the dataset is used
As of last Januarys census there were 1.44 million pupils registered to receive Free school meals
Then we had COVID
Despite the government’s furlough scheme & other support, we saw a huge increases in job insecurity and a rise in numbers claiming Universal credit
Then we had COVID
Despite the government’s furlough scheme & other support, we saw a huge increases in job insecurity and a rise in numbers claiming Universal credit
By October the number of pupils claiming free school meals had risen to over 1.6million
That’s an extra 200,000 pupils below the UC threshold & entitled to FSM
It seems highly likely the numbers continued to rise, especially with a 2 month lag between UC claims & eligibility
That’s an extra 200,000 pupils below the UC threshold & entitled to FSM
It seems highly likely the numbers continued to rise, especially with a 2 month lag between UC claims & eligibility
For those who don’t know, Schools have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic, filling in for the failings in social care, becoming beacons in their communities
They’ve opened food banks, testing centres, provided laptops to vulnerable families, never closing
They’ve opened food banks, testing centres, provided laptops to vulnerable families, never closing
Then on December 17th, the last day of term for many, the government sneaked out a tiny change to their data collection. A change that will have huge implications for schools
@educationgovuk announced they would calculate PP using the October census data rather than January’s
@educationgovuk announced they would calculate PP using the October census data rather than January’s
What this means in practice is that anyone who becomes eligible for FSM after the first week of October 2020, will not receive any Pupil Premium funding until they appear on the census next October
Whereas previously PP would have been triggered in January
Whereas previously PP would have been triggered in January
So assuming FSM eligibility continued to rise at a similar rate, that’s 200,000 pupils missing out on PP for a whole year
This deprives schools of around £250,000,000 in extra funding, hitting the poorest communities the hardest
This deprives schools of around £250,000,000 in extra funding, hitting the poorest communities the hardest
Ministers argued “The move to the October census simplifies the school funding system, and provide both schools and the Department with greater certainty around future funding levels earlier in the year”
Of course that’s utter claptrap https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2021-01-14.137960.h&s=%E2%80%98school+funding%E2%80%99+section%3Awrans#g137960.r0
Of course that’s utter claptrap https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2021-01-14.137960.h&s=%E2%80%98school+funding%E2%80%99+section%3Awrans#g137960.r0
@educationgovuk undermine their own argument by continuing to use the January data for alternative provision schools
They could have given notice of the change, used this Januarys data and then gone to October next year
They could have given notice of the change, used this Januarys data and then gone to October next year
This looks like a cynical move to suppress Pupil Premium spending during a period when poverty is rising and Free School Meal eligibility would have sky rocketed
@GavinWilliamson saved himself £1/4 billion by taking PP away from thousands of vulnerable children
@GavinWilliamson saved himself £1/4 billion by taking PP away from thousands of vulnerable children
It’s hard to see this as anything other than a cost cutting exercise
@educationgovuk didn’t give any notice, it was simply imposed
Schools will know FSM numbers & will budget accordingly, they will have spent money expecting to receive PP
Again it’s the poorest hit hardest
@educationgovuk didn’t give any notice, it was simply imposed
Schools will know FSM numbers & will budget accordingly, they will have spent money expecting to receive PP
Again it’s the poorest hit hardest
Here’s the kicker
Just imagine if @educationgovuk had been ADDING an extra £250 million to school budgets rather than taking it away
We’d see announcement after announcement, @GavinWilliamson doing the rounds of every TV studio, whimpering on about helping disadvantaged pupils
Just imagine if @educationgovuk had been ADDING an extra £250 million to school budgets rather than taking it away
We’d see announcement after announcement, @GavinWilliamson doing the rounds of every TV studio, whimpering on about helping disadvantaged pupils
Perhaps I should add that I can see this government ending the Ever 6 PP funding as soon as it feels it’s politically convenient
They may hang on until there is a review of FSM, but my view is they will stop this funding at some point
They may hang on until there is a review of FSM, but my view is they will stop this funding at some point
Just for clarity
Although the average PP is £1127 (£935+1320/2) there is a small significant bias towards primary, which is why I use £1250
There are more pupils in primary as well as more tending to sign on as they join school and move into yr 3 (post uifsm)
Although the average PP is £1127 (£935+1320/2) there is a small significant bias towards primary, which is why I use £1250
There are more pupils in primary as well as more tending to sign on as they join school and move into yr 3 (post uifsm)
For those who inevitably demand evidence
This was DfE announcement just before schools closed for Christmas
I believe it came out on the Thursday evening along with dozens of other documents https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium/pupil-premium
This was DfE announcement just before schools closed for Christmas
I believe it came out on the Thursday evening along with dozens of other documents https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium/pupil-premium
